


The Tower

by mizrosecat



Series: The Arcana Series: a taeten love story through multiple reincarnations [17]
Category: NCT (Band), SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Multi, One Night Stands, Smut, TenAlice, Unplanned Pregnancy, afab!Ten, bigender!Ten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:35:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizrosecat/pseuds/mizrosecat
Summary: Ten sees the cute guy in a funny costume and has to have him.
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten
Series: The Arcana Series: a taeten love story through multiple reincarnations [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918276
Comments: 21
Kudos: 68





	The Tower

**Author's Note:**

> hello hi how are you
> 
> yes it's me with another taeten... this one is a little unconventional (but it's the tower card, so ofc).  
> in case you don't know, afab stands for "assigned female at birth", and that's ten in this fic. he/she was raised as a girl for most of his/her life, till the day he/she realized he/she actually identified with both genders, hence why his/her pronouns are both options. for cohesiveness and writing style purposes i chose the 'he' pronoun for ten here, mostly because that's how i'm used to writing him and you readers are used to reading him from me in this series. also, his close group of friends calls him by he. 
> 
> ps: there is a short scene of sex during pregnancy and i'd rather just give a heads up now because i know some people are icky around pregnancy in general. also just know that unless a doctor tells the patient not to have sex, it's perfectly normal (especially because the hormones can make ppl really horny lmao). 
> 
> anyway! i hope you like it ♥

Ten has been eyeing the cutest guy in the room for a while, but he seems oblivious to him. Twirling his fake blond lock in his finger, he marches towards the group that is conversing with drinks in their hands. 

“Hi,” says Ten joyfully, unafraid to interrupt. “Mark, aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friend?”

Mark laughs like he knows where this is going already. “Ten, this is Taeyong. Taeyong, meet Ten.”

Taeyong smiles at him and there is a glint in his eye. Ten wonders how much he’s had to drink. The talk resumes but Ten ignores them, turning to Taeyong.

“So what are you supposed to be?”

“A genie!” says Taeyong pointing at the plastic Aladdin bottle hooked to the belt of his red pants.

“So you wrap a scarf around your head, put on a crop top, and call yourself a genie?” Ten raises an eyebrow, amused.

Taeyong nods enthusiastically. “We can’t all go to the next level like you.”

Ten smiles as Taeyong eyes his costume up and down. From the front-lace blond wig, the perfect blue dress, the ⅞ stockings, to the Wonderland themed lingerie he picked, Ten is one-hundred percent living his Alice fantasy.

“You look amazing,” admits Taeyong.

The way he looks at Ten is saying everything he needs and wants to know. Ten bites his bottom lip, faking demure.

“Then why didn’t you come to talk to me all night?”

“I was gathering courage” he answers, motioning the beer in his hand. “But you made it here anyway. Should I grant you three wishes?”

“Please,” says Ten.

“Say it and it shall be yours.”

  
  


Ten takes him into his room, which is the suite of the apartment he shares with Mark, Jaehyun, and Doyoung. 

“Can I use your bathroom?” he asks.

“Sure.”

While Taeyong is in there, Ten arranges himself near the desk, trying to look casual and alluring at the same time. He even strikes a couple of poses but they all feel artificial. Ten just wants to have sex so bad. It’s been so long and there’s only so much his vibrator can do for him. 

Taeyong gets out of the bathroom and smiles. Ten copies him. At least he had a couple of shots and he’s not nervous. He imagines Taeyong isn’t sober either, but he looks in control of himself.

“How did you meet Mark?” asks Ten, making conversation, as Taeyong looks around at the decoration of the room.

“We worked on an album together actually, last year. Then, we recently reconnected” Taeyong stands closer to Ten now.

“So you’re also a producer?”

“Producer, instrumentist, vocalist, and a bunch of other things… I’m not gonna bore you with it, I bet you hear about it enough living with three people in the music business” 

“You have no idea. I’m just surprised I haven’t met you until tonight. We had other parties in the passing year. It’s kind of our tradition.”

“Oh, I just got out of a long relationship actually” Taeyong looks away. “Sorry, that totally ruined the mood…”

“No!” Ten takes Taeyong’s hand before he leans away. “I mean, I don’t mind.”

Ten smiles softly at him.

“But you didn’t spend your wish for me to come here and talk about my ex, did you?” chuckles Taeyong.

Ten laughs and shakes his head. “Can I use my other wish?”

“Please.”

“Kiss me.”

Taeyong freezes for a second, like his mind is processing what Ten says. Then, he closes in on him, hands on the petite waist. Ten wraps his arms around his neck as Taeyong leans in, finally joining their lips. They are warm and wet and taste of liquor. Instantly Ten can tell that they match, heights almost the same, heads turning to each side so they can deepen the kiss. They are both searching for the same thing here, tonight. Their bodies come flush against each other, melding together, wrinkling Alice’s dress. Not that Ten minds. They don’t stop kissing, tongues and lips and a bit of teeth dragging against one another’s mouths. Ten is feeling daring in his fantasy and he hops on the desk behind him, legs folding around Taeyong’s waist. He hums as he feels Taeyong’s obvious erection against his groin. He wants to roll his hips on it. And much more. He wants to ride it.

“I still have a third wish” he claims, breathless.

“Yeah” Taeyong looks at him, flustered and clearly horny.

“Fuck me” whispers Ten.

Taeyong’s answer is to join their lips again fiercely, not holding anything back. As one of his hands holds Ten firmly by the nape, the other flies on his thigh. It snakes under the dress and towards Ten’s crotch. Taeyong kisses the curve of his neck as he palms him in between the legs.

“Are you tucked?” he asks, chuckling casually.

Fuck. Ten imagined that since he is obviously presenting as femme tonight, Taeyong had assumed he was a girl, and Ten was so eager to get in bed with Taeyong that he forgot to clarify his pronoums and bigender status like he usualy does before he tries to get this far with someone. He stops everything.

“Sorry. I don’t have to tuck, I’m…” he motions his body awkwardly.

Taeyong’s eyes get a bit wide. “You’re not a boy in drag?”

“Not in the way you were thinking. I was gonna tell you, I’m sorry” Ten mentions to move away.

“You don’t have to be sorry” amends Taeyong, keeping Ten there. He seems okay with it. “They called you by ‘he’ pronouns, that’s why I thought… But I don't mind what's under your clothes.”

“We can talk about it,” says Ten, happy with his reaction. It's not always like that. “Do you wanna do it now or… after?”

“After” Taeyong smiles before leaning and stopping just as their noses touch. “But I have to let you know it’s been a while since I’ve been with, you know… I’m probably rusty.”

“That’s fine, I’ll show you around” grins Ten, pulling him to a kiss.

They keep going, and now that everything is cleared out, it feels even better somehow. They were honest and can be themselves with no shame or fear. Taeyong goes back to taking off Ten’s underwear and he helps, eager and desperate for it. Ten rummages through one drawer of his desk for a condom while Taeyong slides his hand in the middle of Ten’s legs, nibbling his neck. Ten moans and his body jerks as Taeyong touches him.

“Fuck, you’re so wet” groans Taeyong, in a mix of surprise and arousal. “Let me know if anything I do is uncomfortable.”

“Trust me, it's not,” says Ten with difficulty, trying to open the wrapper while Taeyong rubs his clit.

He’s sensitive and more than ready to go, so he uses his teeth to tear the condom open, and reaches for Taeyong’s zipper. He helps Ten open his pants and lower his briefs. Ten rolls the condom on and Taeyong lines up, slowly sinking into him. Ten whimpers with the feeling of Taeyong’s cock inside him, finally. He’s holding him in his arms tightly as he starts to move, not taking long to pick up the pace. Taeyong tries to kiss Ten’s moans shut, but it’s hard when he’s moving so energetically and they're both making a lot of noise. Ten thinks to hell with it, the people at the party outside can deal with a couple of moans. The music might cover it up anyway. Ten lets go, letting the pleasure build up as Taeyong fucks him.

“Ten, I’m close,” Taeyong warns, slowing down.

“Don’t stop,” Ten murmurs, hand snaking down to touch himself.

He was on the edge of pleasure and he just needed a little nudge. Ten cries out, hiding his face on Taeyong’s shirt, as he cums, and he knows Taeyong follows him right after with the way his hips thrust like mad.

They are left panting against their hot and sweaty clothes, Taeyong’s makeshift headdress, or whatever, undone on the floor.

But Ten is happy. He pulls back to look at Taeyong, realizing now that his hair is temporarily tinged with blue and pink. Taeyong smiles and kisses Ten. After, he pulls out gently and takes off the condom, tying it off and throwing it in the trash. Ten gets off the table. They turn to each other.

“So…” starts Ten.

“Yes?” Taeyong comes closer again, after picking up his scarf from the floor.

“This can go two ways I guess,” says Ten. “We can say goodbye and part ways, which is fine. This was fun.”

They chuckle.

“Or you can stay the night. You can help me out of this dress. We can shower and get back in bed for a couple more rounds. I’ll make breakfast in the morning, and then you can go” says Ten.

Taeyong smiles and he closes the distance between them, grabbing Ten by the waist and turning him around.

“In the name of full disclosure though,” says Taeyong as he unzips Ten out of the dress. “I’m not looking for anything serious, because…”

“You just got out of a relationship, I deduced that. It’s fine” Ten steps out of the dress. “I usually don’t go for those either. Come.”

He takes Taeyong’s hand and pulls him to the bathroom. They finish undressing, Ten takes off his wig finally revealing his black short hair. Ten notices Taeyong just watching him take off his lashes and makeup with a wipe.

“Worse?”

“Better.”

Ten grins and blushes a bit. They get under the shower and it feels good to wash together. Both scrub each other’s hairs and Taeyong’s goes back to being an ash blond color. After they are done, they dry themselves and gather all the clothes they left thrown around, organizing the room a bit. Then, leaving his towel over his chair, Ten sits down at the bed, looking at Taeyong. They stay like that for a minute.

“You can still walk away,” says Ten, teasing, but wishing for him to stay.

“No way I’m leaving” Taeyong climbing into bed like he’s got a mission.

He kisses Ten and pushes him against the soft mattress. Ten can’t help a little smile as Taeyong mouths down his neck, going all the way to his nipple. He licks one as he thumbs the other, making Ten squirm. Taeyong keeps on, fingers and mouth digging into Ten’s skin, reaching his belly.

“Can I? I’ll try my best.”

The honesty makes Ten laugh through his arousal. He nods. Taeyong positions in between his legs and gets his tongue to work. He’s very careful and gentle, like he’s afraid to hurt Ten. But it’s good, and it’s making Ten grab at the sheets for purchase, wishing more. He whimpers helplessly, legs pulling open on instinct. 

“I wanna ride you” Ten huffs suddenly, not wanting it to end there, wanting to cum on his cock again.

“Condom?” asks Taeyong, responding immediately.

“Bedside drawer.”

Taeyong gets up and soon is rolling the condom on his erection. He lays back in the middle of the bed and Ten straddles him, holding his cock by the base and lining up. The second time around it feels even better, for some reason. Ten moves his hips slowly at first, in a circle, building up his pleasure, hands supported by Taeyong’s shoulders. What he loves about being on top is controlling everything, finding the perfect spot to grind on. He can hear the small curses under Taeyong’s breath and can feel his fingers digging into his thighs. He speeds up, searching for his high, wanting Taeyong there with him. 

“Oh, God” he whimpers. “I’m gonna cum-”

His words turn into a drawn-out moan as he rides his orgasm out. Ten falls forward, feeling Taeyong still hard inside him.

“Did you?”

“No, but I’m pretty close,” he says.

“Turn us around” Ten giggles and so does Taeyong, doing as he says.

Taeyong gets on top, holding one of Ten’s legs by the back of the knee, and he helps by spreading himself wide for Taeyong, who quickly pounds into him a couple of times before cumming with a grunt and falling on his chest. They stay like that for a while, until Taeyong looks at Ten and kisses him. He pulls out gently and disposes of the condom in the trash, laying back down and huddling close to Ten.

“Happy you stayed for round two?” asks Ten.

“Fuck yes.” They laugh.

  
  
  


**7 weeks later**

“Fuck no.”

This can’t be happening.

Ten stares at the pharmacy pregnancy test and it’s clear. 

Positive.

“Fuck no!”

Someone knocks.

“Ten? Are you alright?”

It’s Mark. Ten opens the door.

“You don’t look well. What happened?” says Mark, frowning.

“I got a positive.”

“What? You got tested for HIV?” Mark panics.

“No! I got a positive for pregnancy!” yells Ten, shaking the stick in his face.

“W-what?”

Ten marches out and sits on his bed, leaving the test on his bedside table. Mark takes one look at it and sits beside him.

“Is it bad?” he asks, tentatively.

“Mark! I got pregnant on a one-night-stand with your friend that doesn’t want a relationship!” whines Ten.

“Oh, Taeyong… I didn’t connect the dots” he rubs his forehead.

“I haven’t even talked to him in over a month. I don’t think I even got his number” sighs Ten.

“Wait, let’s think first,” says Mark. “Those pharmacy tests aren’t accurate. We should book you an appointment with the doctor and confirm. Then we can talk to him, only if you want.”

Mark slides an arm around Ten and he feels comforted.

“We’ll do what _you_ want. Okay?”

Ten nods. “Thanks, Mark.”

A couple of days later, Ten heads to his appointment with Mark for support. They are side by side in the waiting room and Ten knows he should be feeling a sense of dread, just like he felt in the bathroom. The sense of an earth-shattering revelation about to be unveiled. But he’s just empty as he watches life go by, as he sees a tower crashing and burning to the ground. And even if everything is falling apart, there’s a weird sense of calm that accompanies him.

The gel on his lower belly is cold against his skin. The ultrasound machine is working, everyone is silent. Mark is by his side, holding his hand.

“Congratulations, mom and dad” smiles the technician. 

Ten and Mark don’t correct her, just stare at each other.

Later that night, lying in his bed, Ten starts to cry. It’s like all of the emotions finally hit him. He doesn’t know if he’s sad or happy, terrified or excited, maybe both. He just lets tears wash away at his heart. And he knows that, inside him, grows another one, right now, one that is already beating. Someone that’ll depend on him for everything. And that’s what scares him the most.

From the living room, he can hear Doyoung and Jaehyun check with Mark what’s wrong.

“It’s not my place to say,” Mark explains, before going into Ten’s room.

He climbs in bed after Ten and cuddles him.

“I’ll be here no matter what you decide,” he says. “I mean it.”

But before making a decision, Ten needs to talk to Taeyong. He knows the final say is up to himself, that they saw each other only once, fucked a couple of times, and parted ways. However, Ten is feeling the need to see and talk to him, and the need only grows as time passes. So he takes Taeyong’s number from Mark and asks him to come over, saying they need to talk. Ten invites him to his home, because he can’t trust himself not to cry, and he’s not crying in a public place.

  
  


“So” Taeyong looks a bit weirded out already, leaning against the desk where they fucked almost two months ago. “What did you want to talk about?”

Ten sighs. “I’m gonna just say it. I’m pregnant.”

Taeyong smiles. “You’re joking.”

Ten gets up and hands him the ultrasound picture.

“Sorry. It’s true. And you’re the only guy I’ve fucked in the last years, so…” Ten shrugs. “I totally get it if you don’t want to have anything to do with it. I just thought that you should know before I make a decision. I’ll probably just have an abor-”

“What? No” Taeyong stops gazing at the picture and closes in on Ten. “Is that what you want?”

“I don’t know. I wanted to talk to you” Ten says, fiddling with his fingers.

Taeyong sits on the bed and pulls Ten with him.

“Honestly, I always wanted to be a dad” confesses Taeyong in a low voice. “It’s just that adoption, surrogacy, those options aren’t easy or cheap. And I never found a partner that wanted to pursue it with me either. So I just gave up.”

“So this, for you, is…”

“Yeah. I mean, what are the odds?” Taeyong laughs nervously. “When you said you wanted to talk this was the farthest thing from my mind. I thought it was just a weird booty call.”

“Why weird?” Ten smiles.

“Because the text was so serious!” laughs Taeyong. “I thought, why wouldn’t he just send a flirty text or a nude like everyone else.”

“And you came here to fuck?” he raises his eyebrow.

“No! But I liked you enough to come to hear what you had to say. We agreed it’d be a one-time thing, remember?”

“I do. Good to know you really aren’t down for a ride on this anymore, though I guess that’s a good thing now” shrugs Ten. “I have a feeling that it’ll start getting out of hand.”

Taeyong freezes, staring at him with intent. “Does this mean…”

Ten blushes, not realizing the truth behind his spontaneous words. “I guess that’s what I meant.”

They smile and Taeyong pulls Ten into his arms for a tight hug.

“Thank you for telling me,” he says. “I promise I’ll help you in any way you need and that I’ll always be here. For you two.”

“But let’s be cautiously optimistic until we pass three months okay? That’s what the doctor said. I don’t want anyone but Mark to know” says Ten.

Taeyong pulls back to look at him and take a strand out of his eyes.

“How far along are you? Almost two months?”

Ten nods, a smile sprouting, one he can’t fight. He bites down his lip, trying to disguise it.

Taeyong sees it though, and takes Ten’s chin, rubbing his thumb over the lip, softening it back into a grin.

“We’ll get there in the blink of an eye, I bet,” he says gently.

And Taeyong is right. They cross the three-month mark and that’s when things get real. Taeyong promised he’d be there and he is. For every appointment and consult and exam. He asks all the questions and seems to do all the planning and research. It’s like he’s already helicopter fathering both the baby and Ten, doting both with care.

“I notice you never corrected them at the clinic,” says Taeyong as they stroll through the store. “Doesn’t it bother you to be called by female pronouns?”

“I’m fine with it. A part of me still identifies with my birth gender. And although I mostly go by ‘he’ in my social circle now, there’s still a part of my life where I’m a ‘she’. My whole family still calls me that, even if they understand that I align myself with both genders” explains Ten. He’s glad to have these conversations with Taeyong because it’s important for their child. 

“It’s nice that your family is accepting,” says Taeyong. “My parents and sister are okay too. Which brings me to the point of, when can I introduce you to them?”

Ten drops the plushie he was holding.

“That scared, huh? I promise they aren’t intimidating” chuckles Taeyong, taking the pink plushie.

“You told your parents?” asks Ten, surprised.

“You didn’t tell yours?” Taeyong is equally surprised.

“Not really. I’m scared my mom will go ballistic, fly all the way from Thailand and take control of everything” says Ten. “I wanna do things my way. I don’t want her hovering. She’ll want to know the sex of the baby and do a gender reveal party, throw the baby shower and all that stuff we agreed we don’t want.”

“Well, I promise my mom won’t hover or do any of that. She just wants to cook you a nice meal” promises Taeyong. “And I explained the whole bigender thing for them, and us not wanting to know the sex of the baby, they get it.”

Ten takes the plushie back from Taeyong, holding it tight against his small belly.

“Okay,” he nods. “I’m gonna take this bunny home.”

Taeyong smiles. “Of course.”

They head to the register. Ten motions to take his wallet but Taeyong is faster.

“Taeyong, you can’t keep paying for everything,” says Ten.

“This is nothing. And I’m not. You’re already paying for your health insurance and other baby stuff.”

“Er. I don’t have health insurance.”

Taeyong turns to look at him. “What? How are you paying for your appointments?”

“Out of pocket” he shrugs.

They leave the store with the package.

“Ten…” sighs Taeyong. “How come you don’t have health insurance?”

“It’s expensive and my job doesn’t provide it. Plus, I never needed it. I went down to the free clinic for a pap every year or so and that was it” explains Ten, pouting.

“Well now it’s the perfect time to get it,” says Taeyong. “Hear me out. I know this may sound crazy but… what if we got married?”

Ten stops walking abruptly. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. My insurance is great. I looked into it already. That way you can have the best birth options” says Taeyong.

Ten is still processing everything. “M-marriage? But what if you wanna be with someone?”

Taeyong makes a face. “You know well enough I can’t get married to a man. Us being legally married wouldn’t change my dating life, which probably won’t exist anyway because I’ll be busy raising a baby for the next few years.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ten says. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll understand if you still don’t want to. We’ll find another way to take care of the medical bills, okay?” Taeyong assures him.

“How is a music producer so loaded?” Ten asks.

Taeyong laughs. “I’m not loaded. Just frugal. And I’ve collected some royalties over the years, thank you very much.”

Ten giggles. 

“It’s not like you can say much. How is an NGO counselor affording private medical bills?” wonders Taeyong.

“Well, I’m actually taking it out of my savings, which I shouldn’t be doing…”

“Oh my God, Ten. I’m glad we are having these conversations now” says Taeyong, wrapping one arm around him. 

“I know. You love serious conversations” points out Ten. “But you know what I love?”

“What?”

"Movies! Come on” he grabs Taeyong’s hand and pulls him over to the titles displayed at the theater entrance. “What do you wanna watch?”

Taeyong chuckles. “Anything you want.”

  
  


**6 weeks later**

Ten takes in the view of Taeyong’s apartment. Open kitchen, cozy living room, big windows, tastefully decorated. Taeyong helps him with his coat.

“This is great. I like what you’ve done to the place” he remarks.

“Thanks. Come, I actually wanna show you something” says Taeyong.

He leads them to a closed-door, opening it and turning on the lights. Taeyong indicates for Ten to go in and he does.

It’s an empty room. But not really. On one of the walls, there is the framed picture of the ultrasound of Ten’s first exam, that he gave to Taeyong that day. He stops in front of it, hand running over his bump unconsciously. 

“I had a spare room” starts Taeyong. “It was my office. But now…”

“It’s a nursery” Ten turns around to look at him.

Taeyong’s dark eyes and smile are so fond towards Ten, that it makes his heart flutter.

“I was thinking maybe you could help me decorate it,” says Taeyong.

“But this is yours,” frowns Ten. They had opted to live in their respective houses and each have a nursery of their own.

“It’s ours,” insists Taeyong, taking his hands. “Now, come, I bet you’re hungry.”

“You bet right” chuckles Ten.

Later, Ten lays down on the couch while Taeyong massages his feet. There is something Ten has been afraid to say for a while, something that’s becoming pressing. But he must say it.

“Taeyong” he starts, sitting up so he can face him. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Taeyong immediately becomes worried, closing the distance between them on the couch.

“It’s about the marriage” Ten can’t find the courage to look at him. “I don’t think we should do it.”

“Oh,” he kind of sounds disappointed.

“I just fear that it might… confuse our feelings.”

“Confuse our feelings?”

“Yes… Because we’re already having this baby together and spending so much time together and then if we marry it’s almost like… we are together. But we wouldn’t be together. And I don’t know how I’d deal with that” explains Ten, hoping he’ll understand.

“Then let’s be together.”

“What?” Ten shoots a look at Taeyong. He’s serious.

Taeyong takes his hand.

“Ten, honestly… Since we started hanging out more, I realized how amazing you are” says Taeyong. “We can talk about anything, you’re an incredible company, you make me laugh… And we have this bond that’s unbreakable. Call me crazy, but maybe all of this isn’t a coincidence.”

“Do you mean it?” Ten checks, his heart beating hard on his chest, trying to search for the truth of Taeyong's words in his eyes.

He cups Ten’s face and the touch alone is enough to send goosebumps all over Ten’s skin.

“Yes.”

Ten kisses him. Their lips touch gently for a moment, then they look at each other. Taeyong smiles.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he says.

“You did? Then why didn’t you do anything?” Ten chuckles.

“Because I thought you didn’t want me.”

“And I thought you didn’t want me” whispers Ten.

“I want you so fucking bad,” says Taeyong, clutching Ten’s nape.

Ten smiles. “Bedroom?”

"Can we?" worries Taeyong.

Ten nods.

Taeyong gets up, leading them into the room. They kiss again, sweet and tender, stripping off their clothes. The slightest touch of Taeyong is setting Ten on fire and out of control. He wants Taeyong, so much, and he’s wanted him for a while. He was just too afraid to admit it.

They lay down in bed comfortably, Ten on his side and Taeyong behind him.

“Let me know if you feel anything bad, okay?”

Ten nods. Taeyong slowly drives into him, holding his hand, and Ten can’t help a moan.

“Can I keep going?” Taeyong pants, obviously so aroused.

“Please, fuck me” gasps Ten.

Taeyong finally complies, letting go, and moving his hips to their both’s delight, until they cum, which doesn’t take long.

After, they cuddle naked together under the blankets. Taeyong’s fingers gently stroke Ten’s arm.

“Marry me.”

Ten turns to face him.

“You mean…”

“I mean marry me because you want to be with me,” says Taeyong. “As much as I want to be with you.”

“Yes.”

  
  


**4 months later**

Ten is preparing his hospital bag in the nursery of Taeyong’s apartment. Well, actually it’s his and Taeyong’s apartment now. They decided to move in together after they got married, and because it will make things easier for raising their child. Ten is going to miss living with Mark, Doyoung, and Jaehyun, but he’s excited for this new phase of his life. He smiles to himself, looking at the pink bunny over the dresser.

The doorbell rings, which startles him a bit. Ten gets up with the difficulty one would expect from an almost forty weeks belly and waddles out. While he makes his way there, the doorbell rings a couple more times.

“I’m coming!” he pouts. “I’m just slow…”

Ten looks through the peephole and doesn’t recognize the person. It must be a neighbor, he imagines, because he still hasn’t met any of them. Ten opens the door and sees a man standing with a cardboard box in his hands. He looks at Ten, confused.

“Does Taeyong still live here?”

“Yes. What’s this about?”

The man looks him up and down. “You must be the woman he left me for then.”

Ten doesn't like the way he says it, like the fact that Ten having an obvious female body is a bad thing. 

“I’m sorry, what?”

"Don't worry, I just need to drop and pick up some things" he passes Ten, getting inside the apartment. 

The man turns the box over at the kitchen counter and a bunch of things falls off. Ten doesn't feel threatened by this man, he looks innocent enough, but his actions and words are hurtful.

"You weren't together anymore when we met," says Ten, crossing his arms over his chest.

The man laughs, looking for something around the house. "Is that what he told you?"

"Why would he lie? It was just a one-night-stand" says Ten. "It's not like we expected the condom to break."

The man puts a couple of things from the living room in his box. "Yeah, I knew he hooked up with someone. He told me. We were trying to make it work. He just didn't tell me it was a woman. I thought he was, you know, _gay_. So you can understand my surprise."

"I'm not- hey, don't go in there" Ten protests as the ex walks into the nursery. For some reason that makes Ten's skin crawl. 

"Wow. He tore out his music room for you. I guess he must really love you."

Ten feels the back of his eyes burning.

"Did you get what you came here for?'

The man turns around to face him. "I did. Tell him I said good luck."

He leaves.

Ten finally lets go and starts to cry. He's feeling so many things, but most of all, like he can't trust Taeyong. Apparently, he hid a whole relationship from him while he was already pregnant, and then broke up with someone to be with Ten. It all feels too confusing, so Ten grabs his hospital bag, the bunny plushie, and calls a car. He goes to the only safe place he knows: Mark's apartment, for which he still has keys, even if he doesn't live there anymore.

He crawls into Mark's bed, who isn't home, and holds the bunny tight. 

  
  


"Ten? Did something happen?" It's Mark waking him up. "Taeyong sent me messages looking for you."

Ten is nestled in between a lot of pillows. "Don't answer him."

He picks up his phone and sees twelve missed calls. Ten sighs and sits up with Mark's help.

"He's worried sick. Did you fight or something?"

"Not exactly. Did you know he had an ex?" asks Ten.

"Yes, but that was before you two met," says Mark.

"Apparently not. This guy showed up at our home today claiming Taeyong left him for a, and I quote, 'woman'. While it's obvious I look like a woman now and I don't mind that he thinks I'm one, it was the way he said it, like Taeyong committed some sin just by being with me" sighs Ten.

"Ten… who cares what this fucker said. We don’t know if we can trust him and he honestly sounds like an ignorant asshole" Mark puts a hand on his shoulder. “On the other hand, you have your husband, the father of your child, who’s always been there for you…”

Ten pouts. "I know but I can't help feeling betra- AH!"

He jolts, hand going directly on the side of his belly. 

"Oh my God, what happened? Is it a contraction?" Mark panics.

Ten has been having small contractions that come and go lately, something normal for that stage where his body is getting ready for birth. But this one is stronger and painful enough that he can't do much besides crush Mark's hand.

When it's done, Ten is panting.

"I think that lasted almost sixty seconds" informs Mark, looking at his clock. "Ten, we should head to the hospital."

"But, already?" Ten is suddenly afraid. Even after birth classes and researching and hearing Taeyong endlessly talk about it.

"It's gonna be fine" Mark assures him with a smile helping him get up. He takes the bunny and the bag, leading Ten out of the room, where Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Yuta are standing around, looking worried. 

Ten halts suddenly, another painful contraction hitting him, and he just breathes through it.

"Is it time?" asks Doyoung.

"Yeah. I'm gonna call us an Uber" says Mark.

"I can drive you" offers Yuta. He's the new guy that's been living in Ten's old room.

"Ah, sure. Thanks, man" Mark smiles shyly.

Doyoung and Jaehyun kiss Ten goodbyes, wishing him a safe birth and saying they'll come to see the baby whenever Ten is ready for visitors. They load up in Yuta's car and Mark sits in the back with Ten, holding his hand. 

"I might have wet your car, sorry," says Ten when they are stepping towards the maternity wing entrance of the hospital. "You can send me the cleaning bill later."

"That's okay" laughs Yuta. "It's all for the miracle of life. I'll park the car and meet you inside, Mark."

"You don't have to stay…" starts Ten.

He's cut off by Mark. "I'm staying until you deliver safely, at least. I texted Taeyong, I hope you don't mind."

They get Ten seated in a wheelchair and he doesn't answer, bunny plushie held against his chest on top of the huge belly.

"Ten, he should be here. And you'll have to talk to him anyway" says Mark. "At least give him a chance to explain himself."

Ten just nods. His heart is split in two. A part wants Taeyong beside him as soon as possible and the other is afraid of what he might hear. 

His contractions continue as Mark checks him in and they wheel Ten to his room to get set up.

"Is daddy staying with us?" asks one of the nurses.

"Oh, I'm not the dad" babbles Mark.

"W-where is Taeyong? What's taking him so long?" whimpers Ten, sentence turning into a full bellow. The midwife massages his lower back, while he goes through the contraction. 

"I'll step out and call him again," says Mark.

Ten strips down to his comfortable top and nothing else. 

"Do you wanna get in the bathtub?" offers the midwife. 

Ten nods and they help him inside. The midwife ties Ten's hair back gently. 

He wants to cry. He's feeling all sorts of dumb. First, he runs away from Taeyong and doesn't answer his calls. Now, he misses him terribly and wants him back as soon as possible, worrying as to why his husband isn't here yet. Ten lets out a sob.

"Oh honey, it's okay, don't cry," says the midwife. "He's on his way."

Suddenly all the nurses who were finishing up the room flock around him, saying comforting things. That's when the doctor comes in. 

"Good afternoon, ladies, that's an awful lot of people here. Give him some space," she says. "How are you doing, Ten? I came to check your cervix and talk about your exams."

"I'm alright," says Ten, wiping his tears away.

"His contractions are less than five minutes apart now," says the midwife. 

"Okay, excuse me a bit" the doctor does the examination. "Yeah, your labor is progressing quickly. You're already nine centimeters dilated."

"But Taeyong isn't here yet…"

"He'll make it" his midwife takes his hand strongly, giving him confidence.

"Ten, all your exams are perfect and your gestation has been hitchless so far," says the doctor. "So everything is okay from a medical point of view to continue with your birth plan to deliver naturally. If you need anything, feel free to call me."

"Thank you, Dr. Min," says Ten.

Right now the only pain Ten feels is emotional and they don't have anything for that. He can handle the contractions. His body is made for it, or so says his midwife. What he can't handle is not knowing where Taeyong is. He goes through another contraction thinking, dreading, the idea of having this baby without Taeyong there. Half of the planning had been his anyway. The hospital, the doctor, the humanized birth. It had all been his idea. And of course, Ten and the baby had the final word and say, but still. Taeyong is woven into their lives already.

"You know what, let me lower the lights and turn on the scent diffuser," says the midwife. 

Now the room is quieter, with only the midwife and one obstetric nurse to monitor the baby. The birth playlist starts playing. Another thing Taeyong took initiative on.

"I need to walk around," says Ten, suddenly getting restless. 

The midwife and nurse help him out of the bathtub and dry him up, wrapping him in one of those hospital gowns. Ten waddles in circles around the room until another contraction hits. The midwife helps him through it.

"I'll sit on the ball for a bit," Ten sighs and does it.

He hears a commotion from the hall.

"It's my husband! It's my baby!"

The door opens and Taeyong is bolting in with security behind him. 

The moment they see each other, Taeyong doesn't hesitate to come forth and kneel down to kiss Ten, cupping his face between his hands. Ten wraps his arms around him and they move their lips like the world around them doesn't exist. Like the midwife berating the security guard for barging into a person in labor isn't happening right beside them.

"He left an unparked car in front of the entrance!" the guard protests.

"Well I'm sure you can get Mr. Lee's friends to park it for them," says the midwife, pushing him out.

Ten and Taeyong pull apart and Ten turns to the midwife and nurse.

"Is it okay if we have a moment, please?" asks Ten.

"No problem. Call us if you need" she smiles and closes the door.

Ten turns back to Taeyong but before he can say anything he has a contraction. Taeyong massages him just like he was taught to do to relieve the pain and it helps. After he gets back his breath, he turns to Taeyong.

“What took you so long?”

“I got stuck in traffic forever, I’m sorry, Ten. I’m here now” he kisses Ten’s forehead.

Ten stares at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in a relationship?"

Taeyong sighs. "Please don't take it the wrong way. I see now that I should, I'm so sorry."

"I just need an explanation, preferably a fast one before my next contraction."

"Okay, okay" Taeyong rubs his thumbs over Ten's hands. “After our one-night-stand, my ex looked for me. He wanted to try things again. I reluctantly accepted an open relationship with him, because I didn't wanna get hurt putting myself out there again."

Ten nods.

"When you told me about the pregnancy, you and I weren’t really trying to be anything other than co-parents and honestly I didn't put a lot of faith in my ex in the long run, so that’s why I didn’t tell you anything. I was also afraid you’d dismiss my help because of him."

"Wait- Ngh..." Ten grunts through another contraction. They are closer and closer. "Okay, keep going."

"And when I realized I started to have feelings for you, I ended things with him. I told him there was someone else. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have…" Taeyong watches Ten carefully.

He sighs. "Your ex is kind of an asshole."

Taeyong chuckles. "I'm sorry you had to meet him. He'd been calling me, I just didn't think I should indulge him. I said we were done. But turns out he wanted to drop and pick some stuff at the house. I'm really sorry, Ten. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Ten wraps his hands around his neck and rests their foreheads together. 

"I'm just happy you're here" he whispers. "I can't do this without you."

They kiss softly until another contraction kicks in.

"We should probably call them in," says Ten. "I think this baby is coming."

And it does. Lee Chihiro is born a healthy baby, weighing almost four kilos. 

  
  
  


**6 weeks later**

Ten yawns. Baby Chihiro is sleeping next to him in bed, as peaceful as their dad. Ten watches Taeyong’s tired face for a moment, the dark circles under his eyes, the stains on his shirt. He had just collapsed in bed with them, not intending to sleep, but now fully in dreamland. He’s been there for Ten and Chihiro nonstop, 24/7, from the moment they left the hospital. Ten thinks his husband must be more tired than him, and he’s the one whose body is recovering from birth. Ten gets up, even if he should probably enjoy this moment to sleep as well. He walks around the bed and leans over Taeyong, taking his bangs off his face. He gives him a forehead kiss, then one on the lips.

When he’s about to walk away again, maybe grab something to eat, Taeyong’s arms snake around his waist, pulling their bodies flush together. Ten lays down against him.

“Love you” murmurs Taeyong, half asleep.

Ten smiles. Everything is locked in their own little world, the three of them safe and sound.

“Love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> btw, Chihiro is a gender neutral name :) ♥
> 
> i wanna say for those curious that my info on birth here comes from a lot of research i've done a couple years ago, i think it was around 2015. i watched a lot of humanized birth videos, read a lot of stories both from humanized births as well as obstetric violence, i followed many doulas and midwives in my city. i still follow one on instagram.
> 
> ANYWAY
> 
> I HAVE A FUNNY POOL!
> 
> Q: Ten and Taeyong had sex 4 times that night. In which one did the condom break?  
> a) on the desk  
> b) cowgirl  
> c) doggy style  
> d) missionary
> 
> ...
> 
> TRICK QUESTION! IT BROKE EVERY TIME! lksjasalksjaçklsaçjslk  
> i mean it! ten only had old condoms and they all broke. cosmic fate was stubbornly bringing them together, no matter what! XD
> 
> ok enough fooling around  
> i just wanna say to all the people who leave supportive comments that you are a lifeline when i wanna give up and throw everything up in the air lol aaaaaa look at me being dramatic but sometimes i am. the truth is i am a soft baby and bad things get to me very easily and make me super tired. but what i mean is you give me strength, so thank you ♥
> 
> i hope you enjoyed the fic!


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